Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T01:04:09.050Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

OVIPOSITION AND SURVIVAL OF THE EUROPEAN PARASITE MICROCTONUS BICOLOR (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) IN CRUCIFER-INFESTING FLEA BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE) IN MANITOBA1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

H. G. Wylie
Affiliation:
Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2M9

Abstract

Females of a European parasite, Microctonus bicolor Wesm. tested with adults of crucifer-infesting flea beetles from Manitoba, oviposited readily in Phyllotreta striolata (F.) and occasionally in Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze), but not in Psylliodes punctulata Melsh. Immature parasites developed and emerged from both P. striolata and P. cruciferae. M. bicolor is unlikely to provide economic control of P. cruciferae, which is the most important of the rapeseed-infesting flea beetles in the southern part of the prairie provinces. Further releases of M. bicolor should be in more northerly rapeseed-growing areas where there are higher population densities of P. striolata than at the original release site in southern Manitoba.

Résumé

Des femelles d'un parasite européen Microctonus bicolor Wesm. mises en contact et testées avec des adultes d'altises des crucifères en provenance du Manitoba ont pondu d'emblée dans Phyllotreta striolata (F.) et occasionnellement dans Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze), mais pas dans Psylliodes punctulata Melsh. Des parasites immatures se sont développés et sont sortis de P. striolata et P. cruciferae. Il est peu probable que M. bicolor parvienne à contrôler économiquement les populations de P. cruciferae, la plus dévastatrice des altises des crucifères rencontrée dans le sud des Prairies. D'autres lâchers du parasite devraient être pratiqués dans les régions de culture situées plus au nord où les densités de population de P. striolata sont plus fortes qu'à l'emplacement du lâcher original dans le sud du Manitoba.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Burgess, L. and Wiens, J. E.. 1980. Dispensing allyl isothiocyanate as an attractant for trapping crucifer-feeding flea beetles. Can. Ent. 112: 9397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carl, K. P. 1978. Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, European Station. Annual Project Statement (1978), Rape Insects.Google Scholar
Carl, K. P. 1981. Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, European Station. Annual Project Statement (1981), Rape Insects.Google Scholar
Salt, G. 1961. Competition among insect parasitoids. Symp. Soc. exp. Biol. 15: 96119.Google Scholar
Sommer, G. 1981. Biologie und Parasitenkomplex der Halticinen Gattung Phyllotreta. Ph.D. Thesis, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg.Google Scholar
Tothill, J. D., Taylor, T. H. C., and Paine, R. W.. 1930. The Coconut Moth in Fiji. Imperial Institute of Entomology, London.Google Scholar
Walker, I. 1967. Effect of population density on the viability and fecundity in Nasonia vitripennis Walker (Hymenoptera. Pteromalidae). Ecology 48: 294301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, N. and Thomas, R. C. Jr., 1956. A fixative for use in dissecting insects. Stain Technol. 31: 2526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wylie, H. G. 1979. Observations on distribution, seasonal life history, and abundance of flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) that infest rape crops in Manitoba. Can. Ent. 111: 13451353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wylie, H. G., Turnock, W. J., and Burgess, L.. Phyllotreta spp., flea beetles. In Biological control programmes against insects and weeds in Canada, 1969–1980. Part I. Agricultural insects. In press.Google Scholar